Becoming, New and Improved
by Claire Starling
Summary: FINI. Dawnverse. It's time to add some Dawn to the mix. Let's see some more of those monk made memories! Part of the New and Improved Series.
1. Part One

**DISCLAIMER:** As much as I hate to admit this, they all belong to Joss. He just let me play around with them for a while.

**_BECOMING_**_, New and Improved_

...time to sprinkle some Dawn into the mix. 

_"Like any uncharted territory, I must seem greatly intriguing..."_ ** _Uninvited_ by Alanis Morissette**

Angelus drifted towards the Summers home after his little 'tete a tet' with Buffy. Strolling slowly, he went to the back of the house. It was time to pick up the last passenger on his little joy ride. He waited patiently until he felt a second presence.

"How'd it go?" he said, not turning around.

She slid her arms about him, resting her head on his back. "Very well, Daddy. Just as you said it would."

He smirked. "And the other slayer?"

Drusilla chuckled, "Mm, she was tasty. She was so weak, her mind was just beckoning me to kill her. "

Angelus turned in her arms. "Congratulations!" he said, like a proud parent. "Killing a slayer, I didn't know you had it in you."

Instead of commenting, Dru looked up at the window. "Her light calls to me, Angel. Why does she glow, so? She's like a lightening bug, glittering so beautifully in the night."

Angel grinned, "Would you like to keep that light, baby?"

Dru clutched Angelus' arm like an excited child in a candy store. "Oh yes, daddy, please! I long to play with her!"

"I could never deny you anything, Dru," he crooned.

He climbed up the tree after Dru, enjoying the view. When they reached the top, they skipped over the first room. Angelus smiled as they passed the Slayers room. He was glad their plans had gone so smoothly. Just imagining the look on Buffy's face when she discovered the dead girl and her missing watcher… Angelus shivered with pleasure. It was just _too_ good. And now, this was the icing on the cake.

The room was purple instead of white, and smelt of oleanders instead of roses. There were lights on, proving it to be occupied. A song was crooning in the background:

_"Must be strangely exciting  
To watch the stoic squirm  
Must be somewhat heartening  
To watch shepherd meet shepherd  
But you, you're not allowed  
You're uninvited  
An unfortunate slight."_

Finally, they caught sight of their target, quietly singing along with her humble soprano voice. She was scribbling in one of her various diaries, her eyes wild, her mouth with a slight quirk. Her long, dark hair fell foreword into her face, covering her pale complexion. She put her pen down and carefully locked her diary. Then, with a satisfied look on her face, she stretched back, back, back, her body folding around the chair. Angelus raised an eyebrow at her arched back as she let out a quiet moan, his mind filling with ideas.

Drusilla giggled, "She shall be a fun one to play with, Daddy." Suddenly, she pouted. "Can we let the light out now?"

Angelus chuckled before gently knocking on the window.

Dawn barely started figuring Buffy had locked her window accidentally again. She turned towards the window but was surprised when no one was there. Her brow wrinkled as she stepped closer, straightening her white cotton nightgown. She paused, and when she heard nothing more, she figured it was her imagination and turned away. But when she bent down to shut off her stereo, she heard it again. Flicking the switch to OFF, she walked to the window and glanced out to see… nothing. Sighing, she turned away. But before she got more than two steps, the knocking came again. Growling slightly, she returned to the window, opening it this time.

"Buffy, this isn't funny," she said, leaning out.

She barely had time to cry out before she was pulled out of the safety of her room and into the arms of a killer. Dawn tried to scream but felt the strong arms around her tighten as a hand went over her mouth.

"Sorry, Dawnie. Buffy couldn't attend, so we decided to escort you instead."

Dawn's eyes hardened at the sound of Angelus' voice. She muttered behind his hand, obviously annoyed.

"What was that?" Angelus said, amused. He removed his hand.

"I said, 'You stupid poof'," she replied definitely.

"She sounds like she's been talking to Spike," he commented, obviously enjoying this.

"Daddy, she's so sweet. Like a dolly. But she's been naughty," Drusilla commented, coming into Dawn's point of view.

Dawn remembering that her mouth was uncovered, went to scream again. However, Angelus stopped her once more. Growling, she clenched her teeth.

"Aw, isn't that adorable, Dru? She just- OW!" he exclaimed as Dawn bit into his hand until she tasted blood.

"How do you like it!" she cried, scrambling to reach her window.

Drusilla, however, wrapped her arms around Dawn's waist. "Nau-uh, you naughty thing! You can't run off yet, doll face. We haven't even begun yet!" She spun her around, "We're going to have fun!"

Angelus approached them, "Now, Dawnie, it's time for you to take a nap."

Dawn tried to reply, but before she could move, Angelus punched her across the face. Her body went limp in Drusilla's arms as her vision faded to black.

Drusilla hummed as she handed Dawn to Angel. "We're going to have so much _fun_!"

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Please review, it would be most appreciated.


	2. Part Two

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I'm back! Well, this holiday season I got a lot of time to think so I was able to do something with this story. It's turning out to be longer than I thought. So, as a holiday gift to you all, I decided to give this part to you. Happy holidays!

Special thanks to-

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Kestral: Read and find out, my dear

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ShvrMeTmbrs05: If you read the rest of the series, you'll discover where she learned 'poof' from

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Snap-crackle-pop, Xanderette43, DevilishGurl0222, and **CHII**: Thank you guys _so_ much for reviewing. Every bit helps. As always, you kick ass. Keep reviewing my darlings, and I shall reward you greatly.

Lastly, Thanks to **Dacie** and **Spikaholic101**: I really love your fics and to have you review mine is a great honor. And thanks for your long review Dacie, I hope I don't disappoint!

Now, onto the story…

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PART TWO

…close your eyes and pray… 

Giles stirred on the floor. He rolled his shoulders as he groaned slightly. Angelus watched, smiling gently. When Giles lifted his head and saw Angelus, a silent fear filled him. _Oh god, what now?_

"Hi, Rupert!" Angelus said, smiling. "I wasn't sure you were gonna wake up. You had me worried." Angelus jumped to his feet, happy to look down at the watcher.

Giles, not accustomed to being at anyone's feet stood as fast as he could. Which, due to his injures, was extremely slow. "What do you want?"

"I wanna torture you. I used to love it, and it's been a _long_ time. I mean, the last time _I_ tortured somebody, they didn't even _have_ chainsaws."

Anglus grinned as the fear flitted across Giles' face. He turned from him and walked toward the large stone statue. Slowly, Giles turned. As he beheld the great being before him, his eyes widened. Angelus eyed the stone demon with a sword protruding from its chest.

"Oh yeah, Acathla. He's an even harder guy to wake up than you are. I mean, I performed the rituals, said all the right phrases... blood on my hand. Got nothing. Big doughnut hole for my troubles. I figure you know the ritual. You're pretty up on these things. You could probably... tell me what I'm doing wrong," he stepped closer to Giles, like a panther. "But honestly, I sorta hope you don't..." he paused as he stood in front of him, " 'cause I really want to torture you." Angelus stared at him, his evil glittering in his eyes.

"And if I refuse?" Giles replied stiffly. 

Angelus smiled. "I was hoping you would say that. See, if torturing you doesn't work..." Angelus motioned towards a door. 

Giles turned to stare at the door. Drusilla emerged first, her arm extended inside the room. Giles tried hard to see what was standing in the doorway.

"Come on, dearie, don't be shy..." Dru crooned to the child.

Giles gasped as Dawn emerged. But this wasn't the Dawn he remembered, happy if not slightly annoying. This Dawn looked like... a doll. Her body was wrapped in a light white gown; similar to ones he had seen Drusilla dressed in. She had a red ribbon wrapped around her throat, a great contrast to her pale, pale skin. Her lips were petal pink and her large sapphire eyes stuck out now, more than ever. Her dark raven hair was in an intricate hair-do. It was lifted off her neck in a French twist, with curls framing her porcelain complexion.

"Isn't she pretty?" Angelus slurred sarcastically. He chuckled before smirking. "Now where was I... ah, yes. If torturing _you_ won't work..." he strut over to Dawn and put his arm around her shoulders. She didn't even flinch. "We'll start on Dawnie here."

Angelus gave her a squeeze and smiled at her. Her expression remained blank. He didn't see the anger filling them when he turned away.

~*~

As Buffy and Spike walked down the street, Spike glanced at Buffy. Subconsciously, he started recalling statistics about her. Goes to Sunnydale High, lives on Revello Drive with her mother, Joyce, and younger sister, 12. Dawn. He remembered Dawn. Dawn on School Night, fighting him bravely. Dawn on Halloween as the slayer, turning him on more than his own dark princess. Dawn. For the first time, he noticed how different Dawn looked from the rest of her family, almost as though she didn't fit in. He had never seen the father, but the rest of the Summer family were blondes. Both Joyce and Buffy had blonde, curly hair. In fact, Dawn didn't look a thing like either of them. Although, she sure shared her sister's attitude at times. And her eyes... big blue eyes.

"So," Buffy said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "What's the deal?"

"Simple," Spike said. "You let me and Dru skip town, I help you kill Angel."

Buffy shook her head, "Forget about Drusilla. She doesn't walk."

Spike glared at Buffy, "There is no deal without Dru."

Buffy glared back. "She **killed** Kendra."

Spike stopped, surprised. "Dru bagged a slayer?" Spike chuckled, obviously please. "She didn't tell me! Hey, good for her!" Spike took one look at the slayer and stopped smiling. "Though not from your perspective, I suppose."

Buffy looked at him with contempt and continued to speak, obviously very pissed. She made to speak when Spike sighed, suddenly serious.

"Look. This deal works for me one way. Full stop. Me and Dru for Angel." Buffy still didn't look convinced. "I'll take her out of the state. You'll never hear from us again, I **bloody** well hope."

They came to a stop in front of her house. Buffy knew that she had no choice. Sighing and clenching her teeth, she turned and looked at the smirking Spike.

"Fine. Go back to the mansion. Make sure-."

"Buffy!" cried her mother as she came out of the door. "Buffy, Dawn-!"

But as Joyce tried to continue, a vampire came out of no where and attacked her. As she screamed, Buffy ran to them and grabbed the vampire by the shoulders. With a ferocious yank, she threw the vamp away from her mother and towards Spike. Never willing to pass up a chance to fight, Spike immediately started to punch the lackey repeatedly in the face. Buffy pulled out Mr. Pointy, wincing briefly at the memory, before staking the vampire. Joyce's eyes widened in surprise as the man turned to dust.

Spike looked at the dust. "Probably one of Angel's boys."

Buffy nodded. "Watching me... or you."

"Buffy," Joyce said, snapping out of her shock. "What just happened here?"

With hesitation, Buffy sighed and looked at her mother. "Mom... I'm a Vampire Slayer."

Joyce blinked. "A what?"

Buffy paused and started to explain to her mother. Through out all this, Spike sighed, obviously bored. He decided to leave, after all, he made his deal. But as he turned to move, Joyce called to him.

"Is this true?" Joyce asked him.

"What?" he replied. He hadn't been paying attention.

"Did your girlfriend kill Kendra?"

Spike smiled, proud. "Yep. That she did. _My_ Drusilla."

"Kill..." Joyce paused. "Dru- Dawn. Something about Dawn."

"What about Dawn, mom?" Buffy asked, thinking her sister had done something annoying again.

"Dawn," Joyce suddenly remembered. "Dawn was kidnapped!"

Buffy stopped. "What?"

"Angel's doing no doubt," Spike said, suddenly angry.

Buffy panicked. If Angelus got hold of her sister... "You sure she didn't run away?"

"She couldn't have," Joyce said. "All her things are still there and it looks like she was pulled out the window."

Buffy shut her eyes. "Spike, go back to the mansion and keep an eye on Giles and Dawn."

Spike nodded. "Right."

"You know where Dawn is?" Joyce said, turning to Buffy.

"And Spike?" Buffy said. Spike turned to the slayer. She momentarily forget about Giles. "If Dawn dies... she dies."

Spike left quickly. Once he was out of Buffy's range, he ran for the mansion. Dawn wouldn't get hurt. He wouldn't allow it.

tbc.

What will happen to Dawn? Will Spike save her in time? Will everything go as it was without Dawn? **REVIEW** and tune in next time to find out! Same fanfiction time, same fanfiction place.


	3. Part Three

Special Thanks to-

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Culf: Usually I make it hinted at _maybe_ a future romance but for Dawn and Spike to be together isn't only disgusting, it's improbable. Right now, Spike simply sees Dawn for her potential self and he's willing to wait. So don't worry, no DS smoochies. Well, maybe on the cheek. 

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Sevhevcracksmeup: Thanks. I never saw her as annoying, just going through some teen angst added to the being the key. But I've tried to build Dawnie into something more than Dawnie. I'm glad you appreciate the efforts.

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Naughty: Take your time on the story, sweetie. You only have to tell me the idea, you don't actually have to write a chapter! My secret is… just let it flow. Don't try to make it anything. The best stories write themselves.

And to **Incepte, Zanthinegirl, Sarah, Kali Lynn (**thanks for being so loyal to me**), and Enn-Enn (**thank you too for being loyal and observant!**).**

Now, without further ado...

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PART THREE

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"I hear her heart's beating loud as thunder. Saw the stars crashing down..." **~ _China Girl _by David Bowie**

Back at the mansion, Angelus circled Giles like a hawk, preparing to pounce on his prey. Giles hung his head so Angelus wouldn't have the satisfaction of seeing him blink back the tears of pain.

"You know, I can stop the pain. You've been so _very_ brave," he paused to put a comforting hand on Giles' shoulder, "but it's over." He circled behind him. "You've given enough." And finally, with a hidden smirk, Angelus leaned down to Giles' ear to make the killing blow. "Now, let me make it stop."

Giles let out a half sob of pain. "Please!"

Angelus smirk widened but he covered the look as he came to kneel before Giles. "Just tell me what I need to know," he crooned invitingly.

"In order... to be worthy..." Giles started weakly.

"Yeah?" Angelus whispered, leaning forward.

"You must perform the ritual... in a tutu." At Angelus' glare, Giles grit his teeth and hissed, "Pillock!"

Growling, Angelus stood. "All right. Someone get the chainsaw."

"Now, now, don't let us lose our temper," Spike chided. Spike, a little wild eyed, wheeled himself into view. He had to stop Angelus from really hurting Giles or else Buffy wouldn't let Dru go. He had rushed here and didn't even have time to check on the little bit before getting back to Angel.

"Keep out of it, sit 'n spin," Angelus growled.

Spike sighed. "Look, you cut him up, you'll never get your answers."

Angelus raised an eyebrow. "Since when did _you_ become so levelheaded?"

"Right about the time _you_ became so pig-headed," Spike retorted. "You have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world. And I don't fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet. There are other ways..."

Angelus smiled as he remembered something. "That's right." He smiled as he turned back to Giles'. "We almost forgot, didn't we Rupert?"

Giles eyes filled with realization first, then horror before he managed to gasp, "Don't."

Angelus grinned, obviously pleased at his distress. "No, I believe it's time you paid for your disobedience. I guess I've been too kind to you, Rupert."

Behind Angelus, Spike realized what his sire planned to do. He could practically punch himself. He stopped the poof from harming the old fart, only to have him turn on the nibblet. He didn't care about the watcher but he wanted Dawn safe.

"Why don't we go visit Dawnie, Rupert?" Angelus grinned, hauling Giles toward Drusilla's room. 

~*~

Dawn had blanked out for a bit, she couldn't remember exactly what had happened. All she remembered is that after Drusilla had escorted her from the main room, she had started to feel dizzy. She heard a distant voice telling her to "be in me".

Now, she heard humming. "I must be the luckiest vampire in all of the New World!" Drusilla gushed as she came into view. "I have the prettiest dolly and it isn't even my birthday."

Drusilla smiled as she sat behind Dawn on the bed. Dawn spun around when she heard her lift something, but Drusilla revealed the hairbrush with a smile. "We don't want your hair to be out of place, do we poppet?"

Dawn slowly turned back around. She was loathed to admit that she loved having her hair brushed and Drusilla did it very well. Buffy used to brush it for her all the time, but she always snagged the knots. Drusilla was very careful, almost as if her hair were rare silk.

"So bright, you are. When I first spotted you across the foggy way, you were shinning so brightly. I had thought that my mum had sent a star down from the heavens. But all those pesky humans ignored you, and I couldn't stand it. I do not tolerate rudeness." Drusilla turned to Dawn. "But I'm going to keep you shiny and new. If I ask daddy nicely, you can stay over and play forever." 

Drusilla squealed at the idea. "What fun we shall have! We'll kill your family and paint the town with their blood. Their screams shall be the music we waltz to all night long as we bathe in blood. Just you, me, daddy, and Spike."

Dawn's eyes widened. "Spike?"

Drusilla nodded excitedly. "Oh!" she squealed, hugging the girl tightly. "You shall sleep between me and Spike, like the little dolly you are."

Dawn, slipping into the scenario, looked up at Drusilla. "Do you think he'll like me?"

Drusilla laughed. "Little William hasn't had anyone else swirling about in his thoughts. He was covered in you and I was getting very angry. But when I saw the neglected star, I knew why he longed to snatch it up."

Dawn bit her lip as she looked away. Spike thought about her? Wait, what was she thinking? She had to get out of here, fast, before they killed her.

"The pretty girl shall not wrinkle her forehead, you'll get wrinkles. No aging. One of the rules. And no one disobeys the rules without punishment." Drusilla's eyes sparkled. "Daddy punishes me all the time. He makes me hurt something fierce and scream out the most beautiful melodies. He'll make you better, I promise." Drusilla smiled at her doll. "He'll fix you up and you'll be the best doll ever. No one will ever be able to break you and we'll be a happy family."

"Don't you miss your family?" Dawn asked. Although Buffy and her mom bugged her sometimes, she couldn't imagine life without them.

Drusilla smiled. "I miss their screams. My mum had the most bell like scream. So pretty."

Dawn winced. It was a shame what Angelus had done to Drusilla, she seemed like she was a good person.

"Don't you ever... want to hurt Angel?" Dawn asked.

Drusilla giggled. "Oh yes. I hurt Daddy sometimes. He loves it when I scratch him with my nails 'til he bleeds rivers." Drusilla mistook Dawn's disappointed look. "Oh, but don't you worry, as soon as Daddy fixes you, we're going to have fun!"

~*~

Please Review again, my lovelies, and you shall be rewarded greatly. Tell me what lines you like, tell me what you'd like to see, and tell me what you think. Criticize me, praise me, or love me- I don't care. Just speak, my readers. Please. 

~ Claire Starling


	4. Part Four

_Special Thanks To…_

**Dacie:** I love you too! Since you are one of my biggest inspirations, I'm overjoyed you love this fic. I'll keep the Dru/Spike/Angelus fun coming!

**Spikaholic101, Enn-Enn, bloody_key, and MAC:** Thanks so much! I'm glad you like my interpretation of Drusilla. She is one of the hardest characters to write.

**Calex, redwolfox, Draco-FutureBF, lepetitemorte, and FirstAidKid:** Thank you _so_ much for reviewing. Keep reading, keep reviewing, and hopefully, keep enjoying!

_And Now!_

PART FOUR 

"_Untouchable, you think you're untouchable. You know, no one's untouchable."~ **Untouchable**_** by Garbage**

            Dawn was silent as Dru brushed her hair out. But when she touched the red ribbon that was around her throat, she pulled away.

            "Now, now, dearie. Don't be cross with me." Dawn still remained out of her reach and Drusilla put her hands on her hips. "Listen to me. I will be your mummy and we won't have disobedient children in this house." 

Dawn closed her eyes and didn't move. She tried to pull away when she felt Drusilla's hand over her eyes but Dru was too strong.

"See with your heart," Drusilla crooned.

When she pulled her hand away, it wasn't Dru. It was-

"Buffy!" Dawn gasped. "Is it really you?"

"Of course, Dawnie," Buffy smiled. "I've come for you."

"Oh Buffy!" Dawn said as she rushed into Buffy's arms, hugging her tightly.

Buffy wrapped her arms around her sister, gingerly holding her. "Sh… it's all right. I'm here now, sweetie."

Dawn smiled against her sister. "I was so scared. But now, you're here. Let's get out, let's leave right now!"

Buffy played with her sister's hair and slowly removed the ribbon. "Let's stay here, Dawnie, where it's safe."

Dawn's brow wrinkled. Buffy would never cower. She felt her sister nuzzling her shoulder. Dawn went stiff as Buffy's hand brushed the side of her breast before falling to the small of her back, pulling her close. Dawn swallowed as her eyes went wide. Something was very wrong here.

"You're not Buffy!" Dawn cried, pulling away from her fake sister.

Buffy frowned. "Dawnie, what-."

"Get out," Dawn growled.

Buffy's eyes widened. 

"Get out, get out, _GET OUT!_" she screamed.

"Woah!" said a new voice. "That's quite a pair of lungs you have there, Dawnie."

Dawn spun to face Angelus, Giles, and… Spike. Dawn willed herself to become cold as she turned to see her last bit of hope vanish. Although she all ready knew it wasn't her sister, Dawn felt something shatter inside her when she saw Drusilla standing where her sister was. How stupid she was to believe that her sister could suddenly appear like that? She was never going to be rescued; she was going to die. 

_No_, she stopped herself. _No, don't let yourself break! That's all he needs… You have to be strong, Dawn._

She took a deep breath and turned to Angelus, knowing what was to happen. She started to recede into herself, to a place where he couldn't reach her. He may destroy her body, but she would never break for him. Never. 

Angelus walked toward her and he watched her become blank. "Come on, Dawnie, none of that," he said as he shook her lightly. "She has such a beautiful voice, doesn't she, Drusilla?"

Drusilla nodded and started to sway slightly. "Such pretty music she makes. Bell-like music like me mum did."

Angelus smirked. "Yes, she _sure_ did…"

Dawn clenched her teeth but said nothing. Now, more than ever, she wished she had slayer strength just so she could punch Angelus right across the face. She could almost picture the blood pouring from his broken nose. A wave of satisfaction hit her when she imagined the sound of breaking bones and the look of shock on his face. Without realizing it, Dawn broke into an evil grin. Angelus observed this with some sort of amazement. He never saw Dawn as anything but the brat that trailed behind her sister. A useful brat, but nothing more than that. But as he watched her smile, it stirred something inside him. Pride, amusement, creativity. Suddenly, he could picture her perfectly as a vampire. She had a dark side Buffy didn't possess. 

"So, baby club has claws, does she?" Angelus whispered. His mind formulated ideas as he stared into little Dawnie's eyes. The innocent, the true innocent, was in his hands now. How could he not corrupt her?

Dawn glanced at Giles. When she saw how badly he looked, she wanted to cry. All happiness had left her. He had fallen to his knees because he couldn't hold himself up and was leaning partially on the wall behind him. She never really liked Giles, he was always mumbling something in British about her. But no one deserved such torment. Except maybe the tormentor. 

She closed her eyes, squeezing them shut. That could be her; that _will_ be her. Dawn didn't let it show, but she was scared. She covered it with complete indifference but it wasn't smothered. She would have convinced any human. But unfortunately, the Scourge of Europe were far from human. And they could smell her scant fear. And they loved it.

Angelus circled around behind her and kneeled so he was around her height. His arms closed around her body as he pulled her close and breathed in. The mixture of fear and innocence made his mouth water. He nuzzled her neck and he felt her bristle in his embrace. So, she wasn't as cold as she seemed.

"Tell me, _Dawnie_," he drawled, mocking her nickname. However, his voice fell into a seductive purr as he whispered into her ear, "Have you ever been touched by a man?"

Dawn's eyes grew wide as realization emerged from the fog of confusion in her mind. She felt something tremble inside her as a real fear began in her. A fear that was not for Giles, but for herself. She glanced at Giles and saw the horror shinning in his eyes. She glanced briefly at Spike, tears glistening in her eyes, before she blinked them back and attempted to go cold as fast as she could. Buffy's worst fear might be being buried alive… but hers was a worse fate.

"Isn't she a pretty girl, Giles?" Angelus asked, looking right at him. The evil glint in his eyes was so bright, it was hard to look at him and not be frightened. "I mean, sure, she _is_ a bit young for my taste. But I could break her in, let her grow up, and _then_ she'd be perfect."

Spike's eyes suddenly became hard. _He_ found Dawn first. Dawn was _his_ discovery. And what he was going to do with the youngest Summers was his choice. Another layer of hatred was added to the piles of reasons why he wanted to kill Angelus in a thousand and one painful ways. He grit his teeth and almost drew blood from his cheek. 

Almost as if sensing his anger, Dawn's eyes flew to his. In a way, she knew that he cared about her. It annoyed him that he had _feelings_ for the little one, but he couldn't seem to shake them from his tail. He tried but it was impossible. He was convinced it was the eyes. The large, innocent blue eyes just begged him to protect her. And he couldn't do anything but comply.

It was a good thing that Angelus wasn't paying attention to Spike, as per usual; otherwise he might have gotten suspicious of him. But his full attention was on the wounded Watcher. Giles' eyes were in extreme pain as he deliberated what was more important. The world or his slayer's will. If Dawn was broken, Buffy wouldn't be able to fight. She would be too upset to kill Angelus and would probably be killed herself. 

Unfortunately, he was thinking too loudly because Drusilla could sense his thoughts. She started to laugh hysterically. Angelus, broken from his train of thought, turned and looked at his deranged creation. 

"What is it, Dru?" Angelus asked, his voice edging on agitation.

"I shall tell you later, Angel," Drusilla whispered, her eyes bright with giddiness. "But it is not the time, the stars tell me. All shall be revealed at the opportune moment."

Angel smiled at her and wondered what she had planned. Drusilla might be twisted but so were her ideas. And that, of course, was the best part.

"Now, where were we?" Angelus mused as his arms wrapped tighter around Dawn's body. "Ah yes, you being touched by a man… you'd like it, wouldn't you, sweetness? You're just around that age now. You wonder what it would be like for a man to kiss you, to hold you, to touch you intimately, hm?"

Angelus' hand slowly traveled down her stomach and Dawn shut her eyes. She knew it would be better if she didn't fight. But it was the Summers spirit that made her unable to remain cold. The need to fight to the death was inbreed into her DNA and she couldn't deny it. Dawn's eyes shot open as Angelus' hands drew too close to his intended goal. Her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

A line from her favorite book shot into her head. "No. I don't imagine scenarios, exchanges, or **fucking** anyone."

"Ooh," Angelus purred. "Little Dawnie's got a mouth on her. She should be punished. What do you think Dru? A spanking perhaps?"

Drusilla giggled. "Oh yes. Spank the lil' girl until she knows not to use such dirty language around her mummy and daddy."

Before Dawn knew what was happening, she was over Angel's knee. A smack resounded throughout the room as the vampire made his first blow. Dawn didn't make noise but she struggled on his leg. But that only egged him on. Each hit got harder and faster and Dawn found it harder and harder not to cry out. Drusilla was dancing around in the background, laughing hysterically. A tear escaped and Dawn couldn't stop as more followed, but she refused to make a noise. Instead, she bit the inside of her cheek until she drew blood. Finally, after what seemed to be hours, Angelus stopped. He massaged her sore backside lightly.

"You know, Dawnie. I admire your will power. You'll be fun to torture. I never would have guessed that you, of all people, would be so strong."

He lifted her up to sit on her knee and noticed the trails of tears down her face. He leaned close and went to lick away one of the trails and she pulled back.

"Don't touch me," she growled.

Angelus grinned. "Oh, Dawnie, I just did. You don't seem to understand. You belong to me now, and I can do whatever I want."

Spike swallowed a growl at his words. Dawn was _his_! He knew he should have claimed the girl when he had the chance. And now it appeared that Angelus was planning to do just that.

Dawn, however, wasn't broken yet. She was just pissed. "I don't suggest repeating that."

Angelus laughed before pulling Dawn flush against his body. She almost squealed when she felt a bulge pressing against her. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Angelus nipped at her throat before blowing in her ear.

"Oh come on, Dawn. Isn't this what you've wanted all along? You didn't want to be treated like a child, right? Well, I'm treating you like a woman. And you can't deny that you enjoyed it, baby, because I can smell it. You think I didn't notice the way you looked at me?"

Dawn closed her eyes and remembered of happier times between her and Angel. She didn't really like Angel much. He was a little too broody for her taste. But the times when she could get him to smile, she melted a bit. He was cute when he was happy and she was proud when she could get him to smile more often than Buffy could. She and Angel would have staring contests all the time. He'd always win because he'd make some funny face just to hear her laugh. He said that she reminded him of someone. He had taught her to play chess and once he stopped letting her win, she actually became a fair challenge to him. He had been amazed by her amount of knowledge and had constantly referred books to her. 

Dawn remembered Angel. But this wasn't Angel, this was Angelus. And they may have shared the same hot body, but she wasn't as shallow as Buffy was once upon a time. 

"I never looked at you with anything but disgust," Dawn hissed.

"Oh, baby, but you did. When you crept into my apartment late at night, wanting to hear stories. Your innocent little eyes trailed over my body more than once."

"Has anyone ever told you how pompous you are?" Dawn asked.

"I may be arrogant, innocent, but I'm not wrong," he said as he pulled her closer.

"But you are," she claimed.

"Really?" he cooed. "So you weren't, how did you say it, 'crushing' on me?"

Dawn glared when he realized that Angelus had read her diary. She had thought Buffy had stolen it, but it was obvious someone else had decided to learn all he could about the Summers girls.

"I was crushing on Angel. But you aren't him. You're someone else."

"Oh no, not _this_ again," Angel groaned as he dropped Dawn.

Dawn fell to the floor but stood quickly, refusing to be beneath him. "What? It's true."

"No, it isn't," Angel hissed. "I am all Angel _wants_ to be but can't. His pesky conscious is all that's keeping him from being me."

"That's not true!" Dawn cried.

"Oh, but it is!" Angelus said, getting up in Dawn's face. "You think if I hadn't been cursed in the first place, Angel would have become your playmate?"

He laughed at the look on Dawn's face. "See, I told you."

"You're still wrong," Dawn said hoarsely. "That may be what forced him to realize his wrongs, but he _decided_ to change. Angel wanted to be good." Dawn's eyes flew to Angelus' as she stood her ground. Her face was set in pure determination. "The soul wasn't stopping him from doing anything. There are plenty of people with souls that could do as much damage as you could!"

Angelus chuckled. "Sometimes I forget that you're not your sister. You actually have a few brain cells."

"Buffy isn't stupid!" Dawn said, coming to her sister's defense.

Angelus didn't stop laughing. This unnerved Dawn. She didn't know why he was laughing, but it made her feel stupid. She shifted slightly, from foot to foot, like a nervous schoolgirl. But she didn't stop looking at him. To look away was to loose, to renounce your statement. She kept her glare steady, if a little unsure.

"You know, Dawn, I like you. You've got spunk, you've got fire, you've got guts."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Was that an attempt at a compliment?"

Angelus raised an eyebrow before laughing. "See what I mean? I _love _your spirit. But you want to know what I'm going to love more?"

He paused and Dawn felt the overly dramatic pause weigh on her. 

He presented his famous wicked grin as he finished his thought. "Breaking it."

~*~

Well aware of my most evil nature. Well, the only way you are going to get more is to review. Your reviews give me the guidance and (hopefully) the encouragement I need. Send constructive criticism, favorite lines, and comments my way by clicking on the little button. Thank you all so much.

~Claire Starling


	5. Part Five

_Special Thanks to…_

**Lepetitemorte:** Thank you for being so loyal to this story. I try really hard on the characterization, although Dawn is my own view of her. I'm trying to show what made her the way she appears. In this chapter, I explained a little fault in Dawn that occurs in Season Five. If you can name the episode, I give you a prize!

**Gigi13: **The book, one of my personal favorites is: _The Silence of the Lambs_ by Thomas Harris. It's well known for the movie version starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. I recommend reading the book _and_ seeing the movie. As for the feelings between Dawn and Spike: at this stage of the game, he's got 'I must protect you' feelings. I just can't see Spike loving an eleven year old "because it's wrong."

**Enn-Enn:** Hey, sweetie! Thank you for reviewing and being so loyal to this story!

**Naughty168420:** Thank you! When I received your very long detailed, I was surprised someone would spend this much time writing a review for me. So thank you. The last line was a favorite of mine too, I was so happy with myself when I thought of it. I hope I make you happy again with this chapter!

**Bloodykey:** Thanks for the compliment and for being a loyal reviewer. Enjoy!

**Calex:** laughs Yeah, Angelus can be annoying. But I love him. Anyway, thank you for your compliments. It gives me good happy feelings when people love my work. Thank you again!

**Spikeaholic101: **Thanks so much for your compliments. As a fan of your work, I'm happy to know you are a fan of my work too.

**Ammers:** Thank you for your comments. I found them delightful. Although I care about Buffy, I also have to admit she isn't my favorite character on the show. So I tend to pick on her sometimes. But I'm glad someone else enjoys my bickering. Thank you for the compliments on the characterization, I try.

Okay, now that I've written about two pages of comments, I'll shut up. As always, read, review, and mostly importantly, enjoy!

PART FIVE

"Ah, you burn and burn to get under my skin. You've gone too far now, I won't give in." -Vow by Garbage 

Dawn did not like this. The second she saw Drusilla pull out the chains, Dawn wanted to scream. She wanted to run, but where to go? There was no place for her to run to and even if there was, they could catch her easy. She was only a girl. Dawn smiled at the irony. For so long she wanted to be treated like a teenager, but she really was just a girl. 

When he came towards her with the chains, she struggled although it was pointless. She screamed although no one could hear her. She glared although it wouldn't do any good. She did all this only because she had to. If she didn't fight, then she had let them conquer her. Then she wasn't Dawn anymore. If she were going to break someday, Angelus would not be the cause.

When Angelus had started to pull her in the direction of the bed, Dawn started to squirm in his embrace as hard as she could. 

"Don't get too excited, sweetie. We're saving that for last," he chuckled as he forced her to stand still as Dru came towards her with the chains.

Dawn glanced at the chains pinning her hands above her head and gave them an experimental tug. The chains were thick and rusty. Not even Buffy could break them. 

"So Giles, before we begin, are you going to tell me what I want to know?" Angelus said as he pulled out a wicked looking knife.

Giles said nothing, just closed his eyes. 

"Silly boy. Must watch the show or else I will be very cross with you," Drusilla hummed in his ear.

Giles forced his eyes open and trained them on Dawn's form.

Drusilla moved toward a box in the corner and brought it closer.

"She looks appealing from this angle, doesn't she?" Angelus said as he moved toward her with the knife. "Now, don't move, Dawnie…"

Angelus slowly trailed the knife down the middle of her shirt. The blade split the material like butter until it hung limply at her sides.

"White," Angelus observed when he looked at the young girl's bra. "Should have guessed. So innocent, my little Dawnie."

"I'm not _yours_, you big moron!" Dawn growled, her eyes bright.

"Ouch. You certainly are a spitfire. Tell me, Dawn. What do you fear?" he crooned.

"Like I'm stupid enough to tell you," Dawn scoffed.

"You do realize that I could split you open like a rotten fruit?"

_You do realize, then, that I could snap you like a twig?_

Dawn's eyes flew to Spike's as she recalled his threat. Suddenly, she knew one of Angelus' weaknesses. She turned to Angelus and rolled her eyes.

"Please, like I've never heard _that_ line before. If I had a dime for every time I heard that…"

"Dawnie, back to the point," Angelus said. He opened his mouth to continue but Dawn interrupted him.

"The point is that Spike is more threatening than you. You are a weak little puppy compared to him."

Angelus' eyes flared. "You're kidding me, right? Mr. Cripple is scarier than me?"

"He could make me tremble a lot better than you could."

"I could make you shake in your little white panties."

Dawn glared. "Don't think for one second you have any effect on my panties."

Angelus laughed. "You're good. And very amusing. Y'know, I think I might just turn you."

Dawn was distracted though. Drusilla was opening the box and playing with whatever was inside it.

Angelus followed her eyes. "A little curious, hm? Well, a little birdie told me what you do fear, innocent."

Dawn clenched her teeth, "Oh?"

Drusilla reached in and pulled out what was in the box. She heard the hiss and felt her heart tighten. She closed her eyes and prayed to God that it wasn't what she thought it was. But her prayers were in vain. Because when Dawn opened her eyes, Drusilla pulled a snake out of the box. Dawn's breath stopped as her eyes grew wide. She was terrified of snakes. Ever since one almost bit her when she was six, she hated them. 

Dawn and Buffy had gone on a trip with their father to the Grand Canyon. The drive was long and miserable and all the sisters did was complain, Buffy about loosing the chance to hang with her friends, Dawn about missing Sesame Street. But when they reached their destination, the girls were quiet in their awe. Holding hands, the two had wandered with their tour group all about the natural beauty. At one point though, the two girls had decided to do some exploring of their own. Sneaking off, they walked around other portions of the canyon. At one point, they just decided to sit on the rocks and just soak in the beauty. Dawn had sat down on one of the warmer rocks and started to swing her legs. She felt the sting immediately and pulled away. In horror, she watched as the snake slithered away to a new hiding spot. Running to her sister, she explained what happened and Buffy ran for help. Dawn wasn't sure how long it took her to get to the hospital, but it felt like hours. She had passed out on the helicopter ride. When she came to, she discovered that she had almost died. Ever since, she has been terrified of them. 

But she noticed once, once she had quickly run through a section of them to go see the puppies, they all stood at attention, watching her. She had paused, wondering if that was normal. More people came in, but the snakes didn't stop watching her. Somehow, she found herself standing in front of the cobra cage. She placed her hand on the glass and it slithered over to where it was resting, waiting. When she realized what she was doing, she ran out of there like her pants were on fire. 

Dawn swallowed as her eyes fell on the snake. Drusilla inhaled deeply and Dawn knew she smelled her fear. Angelus undid Dawn's ties briefly, forcing her to sit down as he chained her to a chair. She glanced at Giles, pleading for him to help her.

"He won't help you, dearie," Drusilla said as she came closer.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"I took a peak inside his head, and he whispered to me lil' things. He told me that the only reason why he cares about you is because you'll affect the slayer's mind. Miss Edith was displeased that a man would treat such a pretty doll so."

Dawn looked down. Her eyes closed as she soaked in what she had been told. Giles didn't care. _No, it couldn't be true... could it?_ One look at Giles face confirmed it. It was always about Buffy with him. She was just the annoying little sister. She was nothing compared to her sister. She had no importance in the world. 

Angelus smiled as he watched Dawn. He could almost hear the little snap in the girl's resistance. She wasn't broken, but she had a crack. He kissed Dru on the temple. He was proud of her. He would thank her thoroughly later. 

"Did you know that Cleopatra once placed an asp on her breast because she didn't want to die at enemy hands?" Angelus asked as he took the snake from Drusilla.

"No," Dawn mumbled. "She killed herself because her lover had died and she didn't want to be a slave for the rest of her life." Dawn smiled. "In a way she won because death by snakebite was supposed to secure immortality. And her only wish was to be remembered. And she is." 

"Well, I don't think this snake is going to secure you any amount of immortality," he said as the snake snapped at him, barely missing his shoulder. "As you can see, it's a feisty one."

"You can't kill me," Dawn said, doubt filling her. "An angry slayer fights harder and my sister will dust you before you can say-."

"Wrong, little miss," Angelus said. "Buffy doesn't even know where you are! She hasn't even come after you. I guess she doesn't really care for her sister much, does she? I mean, after all, you _are _quite a nuisance. I can't recall a time when Buffy wasn't whining about you. You put her in constant danger, always having to save _little Dawnie_. It would really be better for her if she just let you die. With you out of the way, her life can return to normal with just her and her mother and her friends. No little sister, no responsibilities, no annoying tag along that interrupt her slaying sessions. Just freedom."

Dawn closed her eyes when she felt tears filling them. It wasn't true her sister loves her. But what if he's right? Wasn't Buffy so much happier when she was gone? Wouldn't her life be better without Dawn in the way?

"Now, now, lil' one," Drusilla crooned in her ear. "I can tell you this much. You just give in, and I'll be your mommy," she said, with a smile growing on her face. "I would never neglect my childe so. I'll pamper you and feed you, and you get to sleep between Spike and me, just as I planned. Oh, and think of all the dresses I'll buy you!"

Dawn grit her teeth. She had to stop this, this feeling of longing. Buffy never did spend time with her anymore... she was always out with her friends. She never cared about her! But, if she gave in. if she gave in she would be sacrificing the world for a happiness she wasn't even sure existed. 

"I'm sorry, Drusilla," she said softly, "but I must gracefully decline."

Drusilla's lower lip trembled before her forehead wrinkled. "You've made me very cross!"

"Uh-oh," Angelus said. "You know what they say, 'when she was good, she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid.'"

Dawn managed a glare, "You think that one up all buy yourself or did you have to look into a book of nursery rhymes for inspiration?"

"Still a little spitfire, even in the face of your own death," he smiled. "Well Giles, you going to reveal any of those little secrets?"

Giles remained frozen in indecision. "I-."

"BZZT. Time's up Rups!" Angelus cried as he tossed the snake onto Dawn's lap.

Giles cried out as Dawn's high-pitched scream echoed through the building. Without meaning to, Spike almost stood from his chair. However, he caught himself at last minute and withheld his guilt. They couldn't really be planning on killing the lil' bit, would they? Not this quickly... it wasn't Angelus' style.

Dawn held her breath and remained completely still. Ironically, with her stiff body and glazed eyes, she looked like the doll Drusilla wanted her to be. Dawn swallowed slowly, waiting for the snake to strike. But it didn't. Instead, it stared at her, almost as if reading her gaze. She got lost in its gaze somewhere, and suddenly all she could see was green. But then the snake moved. Still hypnotized by it's gaze, she didn't feel the snake slither into a more comfortable position. When she finally managed to blink, Dawn stared confused down into her lap. The snake was relaxed into a coil on her lap, apparently settling in for sleep.

Angelus took a step back, "What?"

"Didn't plan for this Peaches, did you?" Spike chuckled.

"Shut up, Wheels. And don't call me that!"

Drusilla started humming. "Serpents eye sees only power, and chooses to respect it, like I have."

"All right, guess I have to do this the old fashion way," Angelus said as he stalked towards the littlest Summers. 

Dawn's eyes met his at the last minute and just as he reached for her throat, the snake snapped up and bit into him, coiling tightly around his arm.

"Ow! God damnit!" Angelus cried. 

Dawn looked mystified at the whole experience but said nothing. Suddenly, as if wakened from a dream, she started to struggle wildly in her chains. The clanging noise created a merciless beat to her desperation and she fought harder. Goddamn her weak body! She fought painfully, managing to twist a chain around so she had easier access to it. Wishing desperately for some kind of an escape, Dawn vowed to learn how to open locks with bobby pins after this was over. If this was ever over…

Angelus finally flung the dead snake away from his arm, obviously pissed.

"What did you do, bewitch it?" he said.

Dawn didn't stop struggling. She didn't care if she died with one arm out, as long as she had that one arm out.

"I said, what did you do?!" the vampire cried, clutching Dawn by the upper arms.

Dawn stopped and spat into his face. "And I recall telling you not to touch me!"

Angelus slowly wiped the spittle off his face and smiled at her. "You know, I wanted to play it easy on you but now that I think about it, I'm actually glad you made me do it the hard way."

Dawn glared, "Just kill me and get it over with, Soul Boy. Or are you too stupid to do that?"

"Oh believe me, sweets. When I'm finished with you, you'll wish I had just killed you."

Dawn was about to reply when the world of oblivion claimed her again.

...

DUNDUNDUN! 

_What will happen to Dawn? Will Angelus **really** kill her? Will Buffy save her in time? Found out next time if you review!_


	6. Part Six

_Special Thanks to:_

**Lepetitemorte:** The snake thing was more of a reference to the S5 episode... see the comments for Enn-Enn. Thank you for being a steadfast reviewer.

**Calex: **And I love you. Aren't I evil? Another cliffhanger approaching!

**Spikaholic101:** I know… in more of my future redoing fictions, I plan on making her character slowly dissolve. It'll be fun... I have a lot ahead of me to do.

**Enn-Enn:** As one of my first reviewers, thanks for keeping up the reviews! Appreciated the snake line, did you? I was trying to help explain the S5 episode when the snake found her and why she screamed. I was trying to bridge the gap between my Dawn and S5 Dawn. I don't know if it's working, but I'm trying!

**Bloodykey:** Are you the owner of the site "The Bloody Key"? Anyway, thank you for being a steady reviewer!

**L, Nikki18, Hello, LisaAnne1, Lazy128**: Welcome to my fic, first timers. Thank you for reviewing.

**K. Lynn Smith:** holds up award Thank you! Thank you! cries Would you like my stories if they _didn't_ have the evil cliffies?

_**The end is near...**_

**PART SIX**

_"I'm through fighting it, broken, lifeless." -**October**_** by Evanescence**

Angelus paced up and down the room. Something about Dawn, he couldn't kill her. Every time he went to do the deed, something held him back. Something told him that he couldn't kill her _yet_ just... torture her. Damn it, he didn't understand. Growling to himself, he sat before the scroll yet again. He glanced over the ritual, looking for anything he missed. He did everything right... except, maybe... maybe it had to be _pure_ blood. Maybe the carrier had to be an innocent. Angelus smiled. _That's_ why he didn't want to kill Dawnie. The little tidbit of information wouldn't let him. Wonderful, the ritual would be tonight then. Sundown.

"Dru!" he called to his childe.

Dru sauntered in, licking blood off a knife. "Yes, daddy?"

"Prepare the innocent. Dress her... nicely," Angelus smirked.

Drusilla squealed with excitement, pausing only to hug her sire before rushing from the room.

…

It was only when they left her, a worthless rag doll in the corner that she allowed herself to cry. As she shed tears, she couldn't help crying harder as the sobs wracked her body, pulling at every cut and broken bone. She knew a few ribs were definitely broken because Angelus assured her that he would take great care _not_ to puncture her lungs. Giles had been taken out with them, probably to receive some sort of similar torture. Her body stiffened as she heard someone walking towards her, the steps too heavy to be Drusilla. At first, she feared it was Angelus, but when she spotted the boots, she froze.

"I thought you were in a wheelchair," Dawn whispered, her tears slowing.

"Yeah," she heard the cockney accent. "Don't go telling anyone about this unless you don't want me to save your pint sized arse."

She turned to him, her blue eyes practically dominating her face. He paused when he saw her. Her tears had mixed with the blood from the cuts on her face. She had tears of blood. In her disheveled and painful state, she looked like a twisted Mary. Her eyes shinned with innocence and misery, her body bruised and broken.

Pulling out what he had been hiding in his duster, Spike sat beside her. He gave her credit, she didn't move away. But he recognized her shudder with fear.

"Don't be frightened, nibblet. I won't hurt you," Spike said, pulling out a wet cloth.

"How can I trust you?" she said, her lips trembling.

"Have you really got a choice?" he asked, reassuringly.

He started to clean her wounds slowly, making sure he didn't press too hard. When he saw her wince, he pulled back.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked.

She looked at him, confused. "Why do you care? Why are you doing this?"

_I don't know,_ he thought. But his mouth answered with the easiest lie, "Big sis and I made a pact, see. I get you out of here in one piece, I get to skip town with Dru."

Dawn swallowed. "That's not true."

Spike pulled back. "It is too, I-."

Dawn shook her head, "No, I mean, I believe you. It's just that, there _are_ other ways you could've smuggled Drusilla away. I think you... actually care."

Her eyes met his and he froze. He felt her soul tugging at him, willing him to bare his mind to her. But he had to protect her from Big Bad Evil things like himself. No, she was too young anyway and he was too confused. She smiled at him, her lower lip re-splitting. He decided to say nothing. Instead, he leaned forward. She held her breath as he inched closer. He reached out and held back a smile when she didn't flinch. She was strong. He brushed her long, silky hair out of her face and cupped her cheek. Finally, she closed her eyes as he closed the distance, kissing her on the forehead.

"Spike, I-," Dawn started, but stopped when they both heard the deranged singing coming closer.

Spike moved so fast Dawn couldn't see him. One second he was kneeling before her, the next he was sitting in his wheelchair, sneering at her. Just as Dru walked in, Spike threw the towel that he had been using to clean her up so carefully with right at her face.

"Now clean yourself up!" Spike growled.

Dru giggled and Spike turned around, 'surprised' to see his love standing there.

"Dru," he crooned. "I was just cleaning her up for you."

"Leave me alone with the dolly. It's not proper for you to see her yet."

Spike tried to hide his reluctance as he left the room slowly.

Dru smiled, "Time to prepare the lil' one for the time draws near."

She inched closer to Dawn and instinctively, Dawn backed away. Last time Drusilla had been in here, Dawn really learned how insane Dru was. All illusions and sympathy she felt for Drusilla or Angel was stripped from her. Drusilla enjoyed what she did. And whoever she was before Angelus turned her head was long dead. And Angel deserved to be brooding all the time. She didn't know if she could ever forgive him for this if he got his soul back.

Drusilla did the strangest thing then, she smiled. She got down on her knees and placed her head at Dawn's feet. "No need to be frightened of me, great one. The stars have finally revealed your secrets to me. I was wondering why I could never really see you, just green and black. But they told me you are really a naughty lil' one. Made to do evil and be just like me."

Dawn shook her head furiously. "Stop with the lying, okay? Go away, you, you, you PSYCHO!"

Drusilla whimpered. She lifted her head off the ground and touched Dawn's cheek tenderly. Dawn looked at her in the eyes and saw the brown depths. She felt them tug at her like before, telling her to watch and wait. But she pulled away, instead choosing to stare at her breast. She wanted to make sure she would remember where to stake her when she had the chance.

"Come now, star. Time to dress you," Drusilla said, gently picking Dawn up like she weighed nothing.

"I am dressed," Dawn said obnoxiously.

"No, you have to be dressed for the blood letting," Dru said. "Then all the dark secrets flow out so easy..."

"No! NO!" Dawn said, struggling. "Let go of me! Let me go! No! Please!"

Dru squeezed on Dawn's neck and soon she was still and quiet.

Drusilla sighed, "Much better." She lay Dawn on the bed, next to all her dolls.

"My Dawnie, you shall soon learn, just like all the others, one does not talk out of place. If you are a bad girl, you cannot have tea and bloody crumpets with the others."

Drusilla opened a trunk and searched through the various dresses she had. "What's that Miss Edith?" she asked as she turned to her beloved doll. "Now, now, don't insult the new child. She hasn't learned the rules yet. I take it upon you to set her straight, naughty girl that she is."

Drusilla selected one of her various pure white baby doll dresses. Laying it out carefully, Drusilla took a knife and cut Dawn's clothing off, leaving only her undergarments. She was careful not to knick her, she was her new doll now, and she had to be careful. She didn't want to break her.

She slowly bathed the rest of the blood off her new doll. Pleased with the results, Drusilla squealed. How lovely her new toy was! Finally, she delicately put the dress onto the unconscious girl. In this state, Dawn really did look like a doll. Pale, motionless, and empty. If Buffy had seen this, she would have thought her sister all ready dead. But right now Buffy had more on her mind.

…

Giles grit his teeth. Moving was impossible now, and breathing felt like the most difficult activity in the world. He didn't even bother to raise his head when the door opened.

"Well, Rupert ol' man, the cat is out of the bag," Angelus said as he walked into the room. "But, I have to give you points for not telling me yourself. Good man," he smiled, patting Giles on the back roughly.

"What?" Giles whispered, fear collecting in the pit of his stomach.

"That's right, Rupert. I figured it out. I should have known, I mean, it's so simple. All through history an evil person is never sacrificed, only the innocent. I should have known before."

Giles froze. Angelus thought that an innocent had to be slain. He was wrong; the world would be spared another few precious minutes. Just long enough for Buffy to find them...

…

Whistler walked into Giles' kitchen and looked around. His eyes lit up as they landed on a bottle of sherry. He grabbed it and took a sniff, frowning when he discovered it was empty. He put the bottle back down and reached for the nearest cabinet. Buffy walked into Giles house and stepped back when she noticed someone in the kitchen. However, her expression of surprise quickly dissolved into one of annoyance when she spotted the demon. But as annoying as he was, Buffy conceded the fact that Whistler knew what she didn't.

"Whistler. What did you mean 'the sword isn't enough'?" Buffy asked, drawing closer.

Whistler didn't bother looking up. After he checked out the refrigerator, he pulled out a bottle of beer.

He sighed, "You know, raiding an Englishman's fridge is like dating a nun. You're never gonna get the good stuff."

Buffy grit her teeth. Why did the Powers ever speak in a straight answer? Or at least give the answers to someone sane?

"Tell me how to use it," Buffy bit out.

Whistler took a swig from the bottle before taking his first glance at Buffy. "Angel's the key. But he's not the only one. His blood will open the door to Hell. But the other..." Whistler stopped, closing the refrigerator. "You're learning too soon about the other." He shook his head. "Poor kid..."

Buffy looked confused. "What?"

Whistler shook his head again. "Never mind. You will learn in time. It's too soon." He looked at her again. "Acathla opens his big mouth, creates a vortex. Then, only Angel's blood will close it. One blow will send them both back to Hell. But I strongly suggest that you get there before that happens 'cause the faster you kill Angel, the easier it's gonna be on you."

Buffy looked away, "Don't worry about me."

Whistler raised his eyebrow. "It's all on the line here, kid. Including your kid sis."

"She wont get hurt, I can feel it. I can deal with Angel…" she turned towards the door. She paused, and spoke sadly. "I got nothing left to lose."

She left, the door shutting echoing quietly in the silence. Whistler shook his head again. "Wrong, kid. You got one more thing."

…

Giles' felt some sort of relief before Angelus' words came back to him. "An innocent... surely you don't mean-."

Angelus smiled. "I know. Isn't it so convenient to have little Dawnie here? All innocent and pure. After the ritual, I'm sure I could find a way to thank her for ending the world."

Giles couldn't look at him. Dawn was going to die but the world would be safe. These are the sacrifices that had to be made.

Angelus smiled. "Aw, don't look so sad, Rupert. I'll be sure that you and Dawnie get to share your last minutes together."

Angelus laughed before walking out into the lobby. It was time.

…

Buffy walked quickly toward the mansion. She had to get there quickly, before it was too late. She was so focused on her destination; she didn't hear the noise in the bushes until it was too late. A man ran out of the bushes and into the road in front of her.

"Xander!" Buffy breathed, startled.

Xander smiled at his best friend. "Cavalry's here. Cavalry's a frightened guy with a rock..." he paused to show his rather large rock, "but it's here."

Buffy sighed and held out a stake. Xander dropped the rock and took the stake from her.

"That's better," Xander said.

Buffy barely heard him, "You're not here to fight."

She continued to walk quickly, Xander practically skipping to keep up.

"You get Giles and Dawn out, and you run like hell, understood? I can't protect you or them." Finally, she removed the cloth from the sword. It was time she faced what she had to do. "I'm gonna be too busy killing."

Xander glanced at the sword. "Now that's a new look for you."

"It's a present for Angel."

"Willow." Xander stopped. He should tell Buffy. "Uh, she told me to tell you..."

Buffy stopped, a bit impatient. "Tell me what?"

Xander froze. No, Angel deserved to die after all he had done. "Kick his ass."

Without a word, Buffy continued to her destination. Xander hesitated, feeling the weight of what he was doing before following her.

…

"Acathla... Mundatus sum... pro te necavi. Sanguinem meum... pro te effundam... quo me dignum... esse demonstrem. I will drink... the blood will wash in me, over me, and I will be cleansed. I will be worthy to free Acathla."

Angelus paused to look at Spike who was smirking in his direction. However, underneath his arrogant façade, Spike was a nervous wreck. He had overheard that Angelus wasn't going to drain her, just in case it didn't work. They would still need her for Giles. But Spike still wasn't sure. He glanced at Dawn and almost dissolved at her look of absolute fear. Up until this point, Dawn had been strong and consistent. But to know that she might end the world finally broke into her wall. She was a trembling leaf. Drusilla had problems calming her before, and now had problems holding her still. Dawn wasn't crying but she was scared. And there was nothing he could do. Not until Buffy was here. Until then he had to sit tight and suffer.

"Bear witness..." Angelus continued as he walked slowly towards Drusilla and Dawn, "as I ascend."

The second he morphed into his game face Dawn finally broke down. "Please, no... somebody stop this, someone HELP!"

Angelus just smiled as Drusilla handed him the dagger. "As I become."

"Now, hold still Dawnie..." Angelus crooned as he pulled out her right arm.

Dawn immediately started to squirm. "Don't you dare, don't you dare!"

Spike held his breath as he watched her porcelain skin part, the thinnest red line springing forth into the air. He barely noticed his face changing, the smell of her blood reaching him. It was different. It smelled spicy, a mix of innocence, slayer blood and... something else. There was this element of untamed power that made it so alluring.

Dawn let out a cry as the knife penetrated her skin. She struggled wildly as Angelus bent his head to his arm. She cried out in surprise and disgust when she felt Angelus' tongue skid across the cut, taking in a small amount of blood. Pausing at this fountain of innocence, he felt the need to drink on. The need to consume himself, to drown in the secrets her blood held. But he restrained himself as he pulled back. Angelus put pressure on her arm, making more blood spill out. He slowly coated his hand with her blood and gave her a smile. With her last ounce of defiance, she jerked fiercely against Drusilla's arms.

"Now Acathla, you will be free. And so will we all," Angelus finished as he took one step toward the giant beast.

Dawn raised her eyes slowly, wanting to witness what she has caused. However, a single stitch of hope filled her as she caught the movement of a familiar blonde as she decapitated a vampire. The sound of ash touching the floor sent Drusilla and Angelus spinning, turning to face the Slayer.

"Hello lover," Buffy said, her voice unwavering.

Angelus sighed, clearly bored. "I don't have time for you."

"You don't have a lot of time _left,"_ she threatened as she stepped forth.

"_Buffy!"_ Dawn cried, renewing her struggles against Drusilla's form.

Buffy glanced at her sister, trying not to let her fear of Dawn's well being get in the way of her goal: kill Angel.

"Coming on kind of strong, don't you think?" Angelus asked, his poise arrogant. "You're playing some deep odds here. Do you really think you can take us all on?"

Buffy smirked. "No. I don't."

Spike grinned. It was finally his turn. Stepping out of the wheelchair with a determined look on his face, Spike hit Angelus as hard as he could with the andiron. When Angelus cried out, Spike held in a chuckle. He felt empowered as he continued to beat the crap out of Angelus.

Buffy started for Drusilla, wanting to get her sister out of there ASAP. However, a minion decided to pounce on her instead, managing to distract her from her goal. Drusilla lightened her grip on Dawn, intending on running to her master's aid. However, Dawn had a different idea. Using all of her strength, she elbowed Drusilla in the ribs, knocking the air out of her. Drusilla bent over and Dawn, grabbing the nearest heavy object, smashed it over the back of her head.

Dawn quickly ran from the vampiress but managed to trip over her long dress. She slid across the floor, stopping at the foot of Acathla. Dawn hit her head on the statue, leaving her dazed on the floor. Buffy managed to knock the vampire off of her back, intending to run to her sister but the vampire grabbed her back, sending her flying into a chair. Making the chair splinter with her blow, Buffy scrambled to pick up a suitable piece of wood as Xander finally entered the room. Tapping the vampire on the shoulder, he surprised it with a hard punch to the face, sending the vampire to the floor. Not seeing Dawn prone on the floor, he ran to find Giles.

Drusilla finally managed to get up and attacked Spike, sending the two flying to the floor. Spike rolled so he was on top of her, pinning her legs down.

"I don't want to hurt you, baby," he said.

Growling, she grabbed him by the throat, digging her nails into his flesh. Just as he felt the first trickle of blood leave his shoulder, he punched her hard in the face.

"Doesn't mean I wont," he sighed.

Xander stumbled upon Giles after the third room he searched. The sight of Giles made Xander nervous. The sudden need to kill Angel filled him as he ran to the fallen watcher.

"Giles!" Xander cried.

Giles moved slowly, his head tipping toward Xander. The movement gave Xander hope as he moved behind Giles to untie him.

"Giles," he said again, to reassure himself.

"Xander?" Giles asked, confused.

"Can you walk?" he asked in return.

Giles nodded, "I think so. Is Buffy-?"

"Fine and kicking evil butt."

"Let's go," Giles said as Xander hoisted him up.

"Come on," Xander said as he managed to half drag, half support Giles out of the mansion.

Dawn slowly shook her head, managing to move her body. She glanced up slowly, and gasped loudly when she saw she was at the feet of the monster. Slowly backing away, she hit the far wall. Closing her eyes, she prayed for the best and waited.

Drusilla raised her hand and swiped at Spike's cheek, leaving three parallel lines. With her other arm, she swung hard, sending Spike to the floor.

Angelus blinked once, then twice. Noticing where he was, he remembered all that had occurred. Ignoring the pain he felt, he stood quickly, reaching out with the hand thoroughly coated in both his and Dawn's blood. Taking the last steps towards his destiny, Angelus grabbed onto the sword attached to Acathla. At the same moment, Buffy jammed the stake home into her victim.

Angelus felt the power fill him. It was different than last time, stronger. He only hoped that his blood wouldn't taint Dawn's. However, when he felt the sword loosen in his grip, a smile formed on his face. As a light burst from the statue, Buffy looked up just in time to witness Angelus pulling the sword from the chest of Acathla.

Drusilla looked up, her eyes widening in happiness. "Oh... here he comes!"

Spike came up behind her, his arm wrapping around her throat, choking her.

Dawn watched from the corner, her eyes widening in fear. "Too late."

…

_The end is approaching…What will happen to Dawn? Will she need to use her blood to close the portal? Will Angel die? Review and find out..._

Yours Eternally,

CS


	7. Part Seven

_Special Thanks to:_

**Gigi13, bloodykey:** Thank you. You have become a loyal reviewer and I appreciate that.

**Draco-FutureBF:** Haven't heard from you in a while. I'm glad you like it.

**Lepetitemorte:** Thank you, thank you, and thank you. I have written other Dawn Mix stories all ready. If you look in my profile, I wrote one for School Hard, one for Halloween, and one for Something Blue. Hope you enjoy them.

**Spikeaholic101:** I know. She _is_ a little mature, isn't she? Well, all will be explained within this story about her maturity. I hope it makes sense.

**Enn-Enn:** Thank you. That is one of my favorite lines too. I really appreciate how you always tell me what you like about my chapter.

**PromegranateQueen, Linz005, Tempete, and PhreakFandom:** Welcome, my newbies. As I have said before, thank you for reviewing. I hope you enjoy the story.

**Saifai: **Your review meant a lot to me. I worked really hard on the Spike/Dawn relationship. In the future, I want them to be together as a couple, but for them to be romantic now isn't right. She's a preteen, she needs more time. I couldn't figure out what to do to show potential for a relationship but then came the chaste kiss. I'm glad you like the fiction and I hope to hear more from you soon.

**PART SEVEN**

_"Close your eyes, for your eyes will only tell the truth, and the truth isn't what you want to see." –**Music of the Night**_** from The Phantom of the Opera **

Buffy felt the urge to run to her sister grasp at her heart but she couldn't. If she took her eyes off Angelus for one moment, who knows what he might do? Instead, Buffy shed her heart, letting her true being take over. Buffy the sister was gone, only Buffy the Vampire Slayer could be seen. She picked up her sword and faced off with Angelus. The time was now.

Angelus smirked, "You almost made it, Buff."

Surprisingly, she returned the smirk. "It's not over yet."

Angelus wasn't too sure what to think about this gesture. "My boy Acathla is about to wake up. You're going to hell."

Buffy just stared at him. "Save me a seat."

Almost like a cobra, Buffy thrust her sword at his chest but Angelus parried her blow and twisted around, attempting a thrust of his own. Unfortunately, Buffy blocked his thrust and continued to fight him. The clinking of the blades set a tempo to their death dance before Buffy ducked a wide arching swing from Angelus' blade. Again, the two enemies faced each other; each determined to kill the other. They kept fighting, but neither of them could manage to reach the other. Angelus attempted to pull another arching swing, but to no avail. Buffy ducked out of the way and sidestepped him as if it were the easiest task in the world. They barely realize that they are now fighting before Acathla, the beast of their destruction. Once again, Angelus attempted the arching swing but Buffy swiftly jumped onto a table before swinging at his head. He barely managed to parry her blow and swiped fiercely at her legs. When his blade met air, he attempted to cut her yet again but she stopped his blade with her own.

Their eyes met for the briefest of moments before the fighting started again, each of them shedding their names and becoming what they were. No longer Angelus and Buffy but a vampire and a slayer, fighting to the death. He tried the wide swing for the last time and the vampire grinned when he managed to cut her. First Blood. Attempting to take advantage of her distraction, he came at her with his sword held high, but she fell to the floor and somersaulted out of the way. The slayer heard the smash of the bowl and barely has time to shudder when she realized that could have been her. Becoming more primal, the slayer kicked out the vampire's legs and scrambled to her feet. The vampire withheld a growl as he spun on his knees, striking at her three times in a swift sequence but cannot seem to catch the slayer's skin. He swung at her again, but the slayer pinned his sword to the table with triumph.

However, the vampire decided that he wasn't going to play clean anymore. Backhanding the slayer across the face, he picked up his sword as she spun away from his blow. He thrust hard at her but she parried it before delivering a solid kick to gut. As he doubled over, she jumped over him into the clearing, needing more room to fight. The thrust and parries begin again becoming more and more desperate before the vampire kicked her sword arm, forcing her to stumble back a few steps. Losing her balance, the slayer fell to the floor but quickly got back to her feet as the dangerous demon approached. She thrust but he parried. She spun around, her moves becoming sloppy, and swung at him, but he just blocked her blow. Her sword fell from her hand. She reached for it, her world slowing down, but the vampire stomped on it before she could manage to raise it and kicked it from her grasp. Deciding to finish her off, he twisted around and elbowed her hard in the face, knocking the slayer back into a stone table.

Dawn noticed how cloudy the room was getting. Her head felt heavy and she herself, felt very tired. However, a sharp pain brought her to reality. She felt as if something were burning inside her chest. Letting out a moan, she managed to turn her head to the stone statue. Her eyes became so large; it was as if her entire face was made of the clear blue pools. Fear filled them as she watched Acathla stir. A growl emitted from it, like a bear waking from a long winter. The burning in her chest seemed to grow, as the beast seemed to stare at her, beckoning her to join him.

Spike didn't notice the noises. All he knew was that Drusilla was loosing consciousness and that meant she was coming with him. He let out a sigh when she fell limp at last in his arms.

"Sorry baby. Wish there were another way."

He caught her as her unconscious body fell forward and possessively snatched her up into his arms. He headed toward the exit but the light on the blade caught his eye. He glanced briefly into the atrium and saw Buffy backing away from Angelus without a sword and Angelus, deliberately stalking towards her slowly with his.

"God, he's going to kill her," he said, sounding almost concerned. But the moment passed when he merely shrugged and left, his prize in his arms.

Dawn reached for him as he left, but it was too late. Her savior was gone, the slayer was going to die, and she was as good as dead. Dawn wished she had enough energy to sob, but no tears came, as the burning grew worse.

Buffy, at the moment, indeed feared for her life. Her slayer self seemed to have disappeared for the moment, and know she felt helpless as she stared up at Angelus, unarmed.

Angelus toyed with the sword before pointing it at Buffy. "Now that's everything, huh? No weapons, no friends, no family, no hope."

Buffy closed her eyes, waiting for what was to come. She had made it this far, why was she giving up now? But what did she have left to fight for? But once she heard Angelus' next taunt, she knew.

"Take all that away and what's left?"

He drew back the sword and prepared to deliver the killing blow. He thrust his sword at her face but Buffy struck back. Moving quicker than she ever had in her life, Buffy saved herself by catching the blade between her palms, millimeters from her face.

Her eyes snapped open and met his. "Me."

She shoved the sword away from her face and the hilt of the sword smashed into Angelus' nose. He staggered back, clutching it as Buffy jumped to her feet and roundhouse kicked him in the chest. He stumbled back again and Buffy picked up her sword. She was ready now. She knew it was time. She could kill him, at last. She wasn't afraid anymore.

She turned and thrust her blade at him, Angelus barely able to deflect it. They exchange several thrusts, but it slowly becomes obvious that Buffy now had the upper hand, not Angelus. Spinning around again, she swung her sword down from above her head, but he managed to block her. However, the shock of her blow sent him to one knee as she swung at him again. After he blocked her blow, she twirled around and kicked him hard in the side and he collapsed to the floor.

Spike was just about to turn the key in the ignition when he realized he was missing something. After making sure Drusilla would be out for another few hours, he draped her carefully across the back seat and returned to the mansion.

Buffy kicked Angelus even harder, and he flew through the air, meeting the ground. He barely managed to get to all fours before Buffy thrust at him again. Only his quick reflexes saved him from death as he managed to get back to his feet. After a few more swings, Buffy smiled as she managed to draw blood from Angelus' hand. Angelus dropped his sword and cradled his hand. Buffy, not feeling an ounce of sympathy, delivered a high kick to his face. Angelus fell backward into Acathla and landed on his knees before the victor, Buffy.

Before Buffy delivered the final blow, the room seemed to shake for a second as the barest echo reached her ears.

_ACUM!_

Buffy glanced down and watched as Angelus' eyes glowed a bright orange before he fell toward the floor, weeping. Buffy stared down at him, not daring to believe it.

Angel, not Angelus, met her eyes. "Buffy," he said softly before choking on a sob. "What's going on?"

She looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion. However, she wasn't so sure this wasn't Angelus' last trick. Angel glanced around frantically before he got to his feet.

"Where are we? I don't remember," he stuttered, looking more confused than she was.

And suddenly, realization dawned upon the slayer. The curse worked, Angel was back and Angelus was gone. Finally, she lowered her sword.

"Angel?" she asked softly.

However, Angel's eyes had settled on her new wound. "You're hurt."

She glanced down at her cut and closed her eyes at the feel of his gentle touch. She ignored the wound and looked up into his eyes, leaning into his embrace. His arms wrapped around her slight form and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, Buffy... God!"

Still unsure of whether this was possible, Buffy closed her eyes and decided to enjoy his embrace.

Spike couldn't help sneering at this. He had entered from another passage way and was now making his way towards the younger Summer sister. It seems that everyone had forgotten about her. Slowly, he settled at her side and stroked her cheek.

"Hey," he said softly.

Her head turned and her bright blue eyes met his. He had to get her out of here. She was scared and hurt.

"My chest," she whimpered.

He glanced down at it and noticed the most peculiar thing. Her chest was glowing. He realized that Acathla was calling her to him. But Spike wouldn't have it. He fought so hard for her safety, he wasn't about to loose her now.

"Come on, pidgin. Let's fly," he said as he gathered her limp body into his embrace.

He noticed how much lighter than Drusilla she was. She barely had any meat on her bones. He felt something tighten in his chest when she snuggled into his embrace, immediately falling into unconsciousness. Quickly, he left the room, leaving the lovebirds behind.

Buffy and Angel missed the entire transaction between Dawn and Spike. Even after all this is over, Buffy still never figured out how Dawn got out of the mansion. Although she never saw Xander after he left with Giles, she always assumed that her friend had come back in and left with her sister. However, within moments, nothing would matter to her anymore.

Buffy glanced over Angel's shoulder when she heard a low groan. Her eyes lit up with surprise as Acathla's features shifted. His brows angled down and his eyes glowed red as his mouth opened grotesquely as the portal to hell appeared. It was small at first, merely a speck but it grew rapidly in size and emitted a deep, red glow. Buffy didn't want to do this. But she had no choice. Suddenly she realized she did have something else to loose.

Buffy pulled away from Angel and looked up into his face, cupping his cheek.

"What's happening?" he asked, confused.

"Sh," she hushed reassuringly. "Don't worry about it."

She caressed his face, memorizing it with her touch. First his lips, before letting her palm settle on his cheek. She stepped toward him, kissing him softly on the lips. He returned her soft kiss, but it quickly became more passionate. Angel felt as though he hadn't kissed her in months. Buffy could barely stop herself from sobbing into his mouth. This was the last time she was going to kiss him. The last time she was going to hold him. The last time...

She ended the kiss and let go of him. It was time. She couldn't cry. She noticed the portal grew to about her size and knew that she couldn't delay it any longer.

"I love you," she whispered and meant it.

"I love you," he whispered back.

She touched his lips again, "Close your eyes."

He looked confused but did as she said. He felt her sadness and briefly wondered why she could be so upset. She felt the tears welling in her eyes as she kissed him one last time. Before she can stop herself, she stepped back and thrust her sword into his chest, pinning him to Acathla. His eyes shot open in shock and pain as a bright light emulated from the sword. She stepped away, not being able to be close to him. She couldn't accept what she had done. He didn't want her to go, he reached for her. He glanced down at the sword that has run him through before looking at Buffy with a mixture of betrayal, confusion, and love. He looked so confused as he reached for her beseechingly. She couldn't meet his eyes and face what she had done. The only thing she could see was the sword buried deep inside her lover's chest. She stepped back again, not wanting to admit what she had done.

"Buffy..." Angel pleaded, looking at his only love.

Behind him the power of the sword began to swirl into the vortex. Buffy still didn't look at her lover's face, only staring at the sword. Angel reached out as far as he could, ignoring the pain. The vortex suddenly made contact with his body, and he disappeared with the vortex into the mouth of Acathla. Only when the flash of light disappeared did Buffy finally come to understand. She suddenly wished she had looked into his face, into his eyes. She wished she had died. She wished she were with him. A glimmer of comprehension appeared in her eyes as she stared long and hard and the demon before falling to her knees. What had she done?

"Oh God... no!" she cried as her heart broke in her chest. "Bring him back... bring him back! Bring him back..."

…

Note: THIS IS **NOT** THE END! I'm not _that_ mean. There is more. Now, where was I?

_What will happen to Dawn? Will Buffy still run away? Will Buffy kill herself? Review and find out…_

Yours Eternally,

CS


	8. Part Eight

**HUGE NOTE:** Unless the chapter is entitled "Epilogue" it is **NOT**, I repeat, **NOT** the last chapter. Thank you. 

_Special Thanks:_

**Gigi13: **I hope to convert you into a Spawn shipper!

**Saifai****:** Thank you! The fight was the hardest thing in the world to write! I had the choreography from the episode but I wanted to write it in a way that the reader got something new out of it. So thank you. And again, thanks for understanding about the age thingy. Dawn is 12. As much of a Spawner as I am, no one can really be in love with someone when you're that age. But that doesn't stop me from inferring to things that may occur when she gets older… smirk

**Tempete****, lepetitemorte, bloodykey:** Thanks for being loyal. Can't wait to see what you think about this chapter.

**Naughty169420:** Hey! I haven't seen you around for a while. I'm glad that you still like the fiction and hope you read and enjoy the next part.

**Spikaholic101:** Thank you! Just wanted to tell you that I LURVED _Not So Little_ and cannot wait for the rest. For all my fans who have not read _Not__ So Little,_ I suggest you do so after reading my chapter!

**Enn-Enn****:** I love that you always tell me your favorite line. It really helps! Keep it up, girl!

**Cali-luv****:** It has been a while, I'm glad you found a way back to me!

**JaD, Alixtii, cole **(I love Charmed!)**, wiccanlover** (I heart wicca!)**, whoo!: **Ah, I remember being a first time reviewer. Thank you for reviewing. I hope you do it again. More so, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

**PART EIGHT**

_"I just don't know what's got into me. It's just a prayer for the dying... for the dying."_ **_Prayer for the Dying_** **by Seal**

She didn't know how long she was there. All she knew was that now she was walking. Almost like a puppet being pulled by strings, Buffy walked away from what she had done. She just walked and walked, each block looking the same to her dead eyes. The faint tapping noise of her feet was all she heard. Suddenly, she felt willed to look up. She was in front of her house, not her home. Her home was in hell. She opened the door quietly, knowing her mother would be asleep right now. She barely noticed the house was in disarray until she saw a laundry basket turned over in the hall in front of her bedroom. She bent down slowly and picked up a red sweater that caught her eye. It was too small for her and her mother, who could it belong to? Her eyes turned to the purple room and suddenly it hit her. 

Dawn. She had forgotten completely about Dawn. Dawn, her whole reason for entering that hell, and she had forgotten her. She blinked and suddenly woke up. She frantically searched for her sister, looked for her everywhere. She called out her name over and over, but she couldn't think. The hospital, Dawnie was hurt. She had to be at the hospital. Forgetting her original plan, Buffy ran out of her house as fast as possible, barely remembering to close the door behind her.

Spike had arrived with Dawn a half an hour ago. He stayed with her as long as he could but he realized he had to leave when he heard that the nurse was calling Joyce. He caressed the girl's cheek. It was time to say goodbye. He leaned down, his lips leaving the barest echo of a kiss on her lips.

"Goodbye, lil' bit," he whispered before turning on his toe and leaving. He wouldn't see her again for another two years.

Buffy entered the hospital, being sure to avoid where most people were. She didn't want to run into her mother, it would stop her from doing what had to be done. However, when she turned the next corner, she practically ran into her mother's back. She whipped back and stood there, listening.

"Your daughter," the doctor paused, obviously not knowing her name.

"Dawn," Joyce said quickly.

"Yes, Dawn. Well, she's been through some trauma. We can't figure out how exactly she obtained all these wounds, but her body has shut down. She has gone into a comatose state and we don't know when or if she will wake up. Now-," but after these words Buffy wasn't listening.

Dawn was asleep now and they didn't know if she would wake up. Slowly, she traveled around the hallway and snuck into Dawn's room. She shut the door and locked it.

She never noticed how small she was before. Surrounded by all the machines, beeping and assuring her that Dawn was still alive, it suddenly hit her how small and fragile Dawn was. Buffy approached her younger sister slowly, and touched her arm. She pulled away quickly, startled by the cold flesh.

"Oh Dawnie, look at what I've done..." Buffy whispered, touching her sister's hair.

She noticed all the cuts that was scattered along Dawn's body. Slowly, she caressed the girl's hair. Her girl, it was hers, she was hers. A sudden rush of possession filled her. She leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm going away, Dawnie. I don't know where. But I promise, the second you wake up, I'll know. And when you do, I'll come back. I will **always** protect you," she whispered.

Just then she heard the door rattling, someone was coming. She glanced at her sister one last time, soaking her in. She left quickly and soundlessly, not leaving any trace that she had been there. Her mother could barely smell Buffy's perfume when she entered the room seconds later. She had lost one daughter and was about to loose another. She couldn't stop the tears; nothing could stop the pain from consuming her.

Later, when Joyce returned home to take a shower, she noticed the door to Buffy's room was opened. She had shut it earlier because she couldn't stand the fact that she had just kicked out her own flesh and blood.

"Buffy?" she called out hopefully.

The first thing she felt was the cold breeze that hit her side from the open window. Clothes were strewn randomly about. Later, she would discover that Dawn's favorite red sweater was also missing. She didn't have to glance at the closet to know Buffy's suitcase was gone. She knew the second she spotted the note nestled on Buffy's bed, snuggled warmly between two shirts. She slowly stepped toward it, delaying every second it took to read the letter. Her hands were trembling when she picked up it up. She finally glanced at the words, written carefully in her daughter's handwriting.

_Dear Mom,_

_ There is nothing I can say to express how sorry I am for all the trouble I have caused you. I have to do this... I can't make pretend anymore. Something happened tonight, something that I can't fully explain to you. All you need to know is that I have to leave and I know I'm not coming back for a while._

Joyce stopped. Her eyes blurred so badly that she couldn't read the rest of the letter. Sobbing openly, Joyce clutched the letter to her chest. She was alone now and there was nothing she could do.

Meanwhile, at Sunnydale High, the rest of the Scoobie gang was also feeling the absence of their most beloved leader. Oz slowly pushed Willow around the campus with Cordelia strolling along beside them. Giles and Xander came up from behind them, although their progress was hindered by Giles' slight limp.

"Willow, are you sure you should be out of bed?" he asked, clearly concerned.

She smiled at him. "Look who's talking."

Giles returned the smile with a small one of his own. "Yes."

Cordelia broke the conversation in two words. "Any word?"

Xander sighed. "You guys haven't seen her either?"

Willow shook her head, "No."

Oz tried to be optimistic. "But we know the world didn't end 'cause," he paused to look around, "check it out."

Giles slowly took off his glasses and squinted. "Well, we, uh... we went back to the mansion. It was empty, um... and Acathla was, was... dormant." He slowly stuttered through it, not needing to mention that Buffy wasn't there either.

Willow continued to be optimistic. "I think the spell worked. I felt something go through me."

Cordelia smiled. "Plus the orb did that cool glow thing."

Xander tried not to let it show how glad he was that Angel was gone, and failed. "Well, maybe it wasn't in time. Maybe she had to kill him before the cure could work."

Oz shrugged. "Well, then, she'd want to be alone, I guess."

Willow felt the optimism start to drain out of her but continued onwards. "Or maybe Angel **was** saved, and they want to be alone together."

"Perhaps," Giles sighed.

Cordelia again tried to be hopeful. "Well, she's got to show up sooner or later. We still have school."

"Yeah," Willow said faintly, searching the crowd for her best friend. "She'll be here in a while."

But subconsciously Willow knew that Buffy wouldn't be coming back, not for a while. But she still had hopes. Maybe Buffy would return after all. She couldn't be far.

Buffy watched as her friends walked into the school from her hiding spot from behind the tree. She never thought she'd miss school, but she did. She was going to miss her friends but she couldn't stand being here. Too many memories, good and bad, swamped her. Everywhere she was, he was too, like ghost haunting her constantly. A light breeze brushed her hair behind her ear, and she could have sworn she smelled Angel's cologne. No longer being able to stand there, she turned away from the school. She never looked back.

Nothing else made sense for a while. Everything was mechanical. It was only until she felt the rumble of the engine beneath her that she woke from the trance. She watched as the bus passed by her home and by the hospital. She placed her hand on the glass and prayed for her sister. Once the hospital was out of her eyesight, Buffy's heart hid inside its stone barrier once more. She was calm once again. She barely glanced at the sign as they passed it, trying not to allow the words register in her mind.

**NOW LEAVING SUNNYDALE**

_Come back soon!_

…

_What will happen to Dawn? To Buffy? Will Dawn ever wake up? Review and find out…_

Yours Eternally,

CS


	9. Epilogue

_Special Thanks:_

**Shann51, Michelle R, Sarah B, and wiccangirl:** Thanks for reviewing, I appreciate it a lot. I hope that you will review both this chapter and my future fictions. More importantly, I hope you enjoy them.

**Hellmouth**** Hottie:** First, love the penname. Secondly, all the other stories are finished but the series are not. I'm guessing they're going to continue for a while. I won't be doing all the episodes because that is just tedious, but I pick the juicier ones. Hope you enjoy!

**Gigi****:** Read some of my other fictions, should be enough convincing!

**Saifai****: **laughs I wish, but I figured… I should let Faith in a little bit. I've been dying to write her, so I'm going to do some S3 stuff before I skip to the interesting episodes of S4, which will include (hopefully) both Spike and _Hush_.

**Cali-luv****, Jen, L, wiccanlover, and lepetitemorte: **Thanks for returning and reviewing my fiction. All questions will be answered once you finish reading the end of my fiction. Remember, my stories are _never_ over until I write "end" at the end of the fic.

**Dacie****: **I love you too. I think if we met in real life we'd be glomping each other like mad. I'm glad that I brightened your day. I dislike Spuffy only because I don't think Buffy deserves Spike, but that's just me. Plus, most of it is fluffy and exactly how you described it. Thank you again for reviewing, it's a great honor. Hope to see more from you soon!

**Spikaholic101:** No problem, luv, you deserved the recommendation. I hope to see more from you soon, as both an author and a reviewer! Thank you for being loyal to my story (the only chapter you didn't review was Chapter 2!) and stay well.

**EPILOGUE**

_"…and went out to become what I became."** Louis,**_** Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice**

_"Sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree?" **–Sweet Dreams**_** by Eurythmics**

Dawn didn't know how long she'd been here; all she knew was that she couldn't leave. Sometimes she dreamt. Memories would come to her of things she didn't remember doing in times and places she had never been. And yet, they seemed so familiar to her. Other times she found herself surrounded by green. She doubted it had anything to do with jealousy. She swore she heard whispering sometimes, like people were talking to her. But their words were so faint. She'd strain so hard to hear them but the murmurs would remain distant. One time, she swore she saw a light beckoning her, but it closed before she could reach it. Currently though, she felt as though she was being tugged in another direction. 

She blinked once before she found herself at a Victorian party. She didn't know why it made sense, but she felt like she belonged there. She sensed that she was looking for something, someone. As she walked around, she saw a glance at herself in the mirror and gasped. Her hair was curled and in some strange style that brought out her cheekbones. Her blue eyes popped against her pale skin and her growing breasts were pushed up with what she believed to be a corset. She blushed briefly at she stared down at her new cleavage. She was in an extravagant white dress, a blue choker tied about her neck. She glanced down at the lacy gloves on her hands and the fan to match and felt a little out of place. What was she doing here?

She turned when she heard voices coming from a different room. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the room and into... a party? She scanned the room, taking in all the faces before her eyes rested on one. He looked familiar, although she couldn't quite figure out why. He had curly, dirty blonde hair and thin-framed glasses. He looked hopelessly lost in his plain attire, but she couldn't figure out where he was from. Until he looked up, right at her. Ice blue eyes met her gaze and she knew. It was Spike.

She gasped and turned away, covering her blushing face with her fan. She found herself playing with a curl. She managed to look up and found herself in a room, observing Spike and some other woman.

"Your poetry, it's... they're... not written about me, are they?" said the mysterious woman.

"They're about how I feel," he replied nervously.

"Yes, but are they about me?" she asked, obviously becoming impatient.

"Every syllable," Spike confessed, his eyes revealing his heart.

"Oh God!" she cried, horrified.

"Oh I know, it's sudden and please, if they're no good, they're only words but the feeling behind them," he paused, preparing himself. "I love you, Cecily."

Dawn's eyes widened. So the girl had a name. And Spike, Spike was in love.

"Please stop!" Cecily begged, turning away.

He was practically begging now. "I know I'm a bad poet but I'm a good man and all I ask is that... that you try to see me-."

"I do see you," she snapped, interrupting. "That's the problem. You're nothing to me, William. You're beneath me."

Dawn tried to cry out and hit the woman, but she was voiceless and motionless. Stuck as a bystander.

One blink and she was in an alleyway. The scenery wasn't the only thing that had changed. Her clothes had reverted to a simple white cotton dress. Her hair was curled about her shoulders and her feet were bare. She barely noticed any of it. William was crying his heart out and in return, she felt a dull ache in her chest. She hated watching someone she cared about crying. She felt her eyes mist up as he ripped up the remains of his poetry.

Dawn bent down and picked up a scrap, smiling at the words. It actually wasn't _that _bad.

"You like it, nibblet?" he said.

Startled, Dawn looked up. But William wasn't there anymore. In his place was Spike, leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. All confidence and mystery, William's bland attire was replaced with Spike's black duster and jeans.

"Yes," she whispered. "You can see me?"

Spike nodded. "I could always see you."

She stepped closer. "Is this the night when-?"

She didn't need to finish. "Yes. This was the night when Drusilla saved me from a life of being a stupid sod who wrote terrible poetry."

"It's not terrible," she said. "But you just thought about it too much. It's like singing. If you think about it too much, you sound terrible because you're trying too hard. I think you could be a wonderful poet, William."

Spike smiled softly, a reflection of his old self. "Maybe you should have met me in the alleyway all those years ago." He paused and put out the cigarette with the heel of his boot. Almost as an afterthought, he said, "I've never dreamt about you before."

Dawn froze. "Whose dream is this?"

Spike looked at her. "You're still sleeping?"

Dawn shrugged, "I can't wake up."

Spike stepped closer to her. "Then I guess it doesn't matter whose dream it is, does it?"

"No, I guess not," she replied. "Thank you for rescuing me."

He reached out and brushed back a strand of hair. "I'll always protect you, bit. 'till the end of the world."

She hesitated before she stepped forward and embraced him. He looked at her, confused for a moment before wrapping his arms around her. They remained in each other's arms, comforting each other. They knew they wouldn't see each other anytime soon. Suddenly, Spike looked up.

"Sundown," he whispered. "I got to go."

She nodded, "I know."

He caressed her cheek. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

She smiled. "Always."

And then he was gone.

And she was back in the green room. But before she could settle, she felt the scene changing again. Opening her eyes, she immediately looked down. She was barefoot, her toes soaking in the heat from the hot sand. She glanced over her green sundress before looking up. Her lips parted slightly at the sight before her. A vast desert, seemingly never ending met her gaze. She glanced down again to find a shovel and a beach pail at her feet. She bent down and found herself making a sand castle.

She didn't know how long she was there, but as time passed, she felt herself becoming less and less like Dawn and more like her true being. As she formed and shaped the sand into a magnificent castle, her inner child grew quiet as a maturity took over. A sense of reason filled her that could only be achieved through millennia of being. Dawn drowned within her new self until she felt the wisdom take over her.

"Dawnie?" a voice called.

Dawn turned around to find her sister standing behind her, looking confused.

Dawn smiled and returned to her castle. By now, it was large and beautiful. Each feature meticulously shaped into the sand. "This is us, Buffy. Our life. We carve it out so carefully, trying to smooth out mistakes. But no matter what we do, sometimes things happen. And peace is destroyed."

With that, Dawn reached out her arm and with one fatal swoop, wiped out the castle that had taken her hours to build. Buffy cried out in alarm, coming toward her sister.

Dawn looked up at Buffy, serene. It all made sense. "But we can't stop there, Buffy. If we cry, the sand only hardens. We must rebuild and go back to the basics."

Dawn picked up her pail, filled it, and turned it over. Pulling away the pail, a simple childish castle was revealed.

Dawn stood. "It's time to come home."

Buffy looked away, her eyes fogging up. "I can't. I'm not ready."

Dawn smiled. "You'll never be ready."

Buffy frowned, her chin trembling. "How can I go back there? Knowing what I've done?"

Dawn came up to her sister. "You did what you had to do. Something is coming, and you'll have to make your decision."

"What decision?"

"Live or give in," she said. "Being a slayer isn't really the easiest task in the world. But it's what you do. I need you to be there."

Buffy looked a little lost. "How do you know all this?"

Dawn smiled. "This is a place outside of time," she said, gesturing to the barren land. "We return to the basics. We are who we really are. No façades, no masks, just you and me."

Buffy noticed something then. Her sister was glowing. Not like a happy glowing, really glowing. She was glowing green.

"I'm going to wake up, Buffy," The Key said. "And I probably won't remember much. But _you_ remember, you promised to come back."

"Dawnie, I-," Buffy started.

The Key shook her head. "We still have to _live, _Buffy. There's so much more to learn. You just have to be willing to. And when you're ready, I'm waiting. You may think you have no purpose in your life right now, no center. But you do. You have me. And your purpose is to protect me."

"Dawn, I don't-," Buffy began.

The Key smiled, kissing her sister on the forehead. "I'm waiting for you, Buffy."

And with that, The Key closed her eyes.

When Dawn opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a white ceiling. Next, she heard the melodic beeping of a machine. Turning her head, she saw her mother sitting in a chair by her bed, sleeping.

"Mommy?" she whispered, managing to reach her mother's hand.

Joyce woke with a start, her eyes widening. "Dawn?"

"I'm home, Mom," Dawn smiled.

"Oh God," her mom cried, wrapping her arms around her youngest daughter.

Dawn closed her eyes. She felt her mind grasping at an idea. Something about green, Spike, Buffy... but she couldn't reach it. It slipped through her fingers like warm sand. All she knew was that she had a mom who loved her, a sister who would protect her, and a vampire who cared about her. She didn't know what her dream had tried to tell her. She knew that Spike had become a vampire, and Buffy, a slayer. She didn't know what she was trying to become, but she knew that when it happened, she was ready. And waiting.

* * *

The monks watched all of this with silent scrutiny before the leader spoke.

"She is getting too strong. Her true nature will be discovered too soon if this continues."

The other monks nodded. They had frozen time and placed the human capsule of the key within it. Now that they had let time rewrite things with the key in place, its essence was fighting against the child form. At first, all was good. Dawn, the Key, had been a normal child. She would never be guessed to be what it truly was. But now the Key's age had leaked into the holder. By the time that the two time periods overlapped, the Key would not only know who she was, but how to use her power. It would be too dangerous. They decided. They would lock the Key somewhere within the girl's deep subconscious. When the time was right, all would be revealed. Until then, the girl would revert to how she was supposed to act: like a child, not an immortal. They only hoped they weren't making a mistake.

**End.**


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